The Merciless and Mighty Mu: Epitome of Evil
by RivalsAreAllies
Summary: A new threat has found Earth. He claims he is a God. But the Z-Fighters know better. He is who the Gods FEAR. It will take a god-sent gift to save the Saiyans this time. New characters, romance, drama, comedy, and of course, ACTION appear here.
1. The Heroes Emerge

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball, Dragonball Z, or Dragonball GT, but if I did, sh*t like this would happen.**

**Before-You-Read Background: This BOLD, "Pre-Story Pretext," is my important, intrinsic, "Before-You-Read Background," and these "Before-Chapter-Author-Notes," will almost ALWAYS contain UPPER-CASE Letters, of SOME sort. Proper grammar, and other things are used CORRECTLY in these "Pretext Prologues," though. …And while you should know that, you should also know that the ACTUAL STORY WILL contain GREAT spelling, grammar, punctuation, usage-and-mechanics, syntax, and semantics. Reading/RETAINING the NEXT portion of BOLDED text of IMPORTANT INFORMATION is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!**

**Important Information: This story takes place AFTER the CONCLUSION/CLOSING to the "_DragonBall GT Series_," and although "_DBGT_" was NOT TECHNICALLY cannon, it will serve as such for this story, and you should know that ANYTHING/EVERYTHING that happened in ANY/ALL three series ("_DragonBall_," "_DragonBall Z_," and "_DragonBall GT_") has ALREADY happened here. But, the MOST, INTRINSICALLY IMPORTANT, piece of information, about this FanFic, is the fact that it takes-place a while (not TOO long, but, still a while), AFTER the END of "_DragonBall GT_," and the characters will-have/are/did grow-up/change, as a result of ALL that has happened, and the time that has passed. Also, when possible, I will be using the ORIGINAL MANGA written by Akira Toriyama, that these three shows were originally based-on, INSTEAD of the shows/anime, for information, such as: power-levels, character-traits, and fun-facts, so PLEASE NOTE THAT, and note that a great deal of "research" has been put into this, before it was published/posted! ENJOY!**

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><p><strong>The Mighty and Merciless Mu: Epitome of Evil<strong>

**A FanFic By: D. Raj David**

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><p><strong>I. The Heroes Emerge<strong>

Gods gathered to kill their heroes. Demons gathered to avenge their masters. Saiyans gathered to stop them all.

Gohan stared angrily at his counterpart. Vegeta just wouldn't let it go. He was just as hard-headed as ever.

"You imbecile! How could you possibly think Kakarot would leave you in charge of Earth's defense?" Vegeta asked irritated and annoyed.

"Well, hmmm, let me think…Oh yeah, I know! He would have left me in charge, _because I'm his son_!" Gohan shot back just as angrily. "And then there is the fact that I'm the better fighter of the two of us," he spat in a viciously vehemently voice.

"Oh please, boy. Don't get me started." Vegeta stated, trying to hold back his laughter. "You know, when I first came to Earth, I was the strongest Saiyan that had ever existed. Only your father could stand up to me, and even he had to boost his own power by three times to even begin to compete with me. In fact, I remember that it took all of you to defeat me, even you…in your ape form." Vegeta proudly proclaimed.

"What I remember from that fight is that I was the one to finish you off. I also remember me being the youngest '_Super Saiyan_,' ever," Gohan gazed over at Trunks and Goten as he said this, and realized that he wasn't the youngest Super Saiyan, but he cautiously continued, nonetheless. "…And I was also the first Saiyan to go beyond Super Saiyan, to reach '_Super Saiyan 2_.' Also, wasn't I the one who, _single-handedly_, beat Cell?" Gohan argued, just as proud and powerful as Vegeta.

"That is not the point. Kakarot left _me_ in charge, and that is final! Besides, you had Kakarot's voice helping you the _entire_ time you fought Cell." Vegeta yelled.

"Vegeta, he is _my father_." Gohan said, slightly more irritated and irate.

"Your point would be…?" Vegeta commented condescendingly.

"This kind of duty, this privilege, it passes from father to son, not from friend to friend." Gohan said, hoping Vegeta would see reason.

"Listen, I admitted Kakarot was better than me, and for so long I tried _so hard _to surpass him, but I failed at every turn. Until finally, _finally_, during our last battle against Omega Shenron, my skill, my speed, my strength, it was all equal to his in every comprehensibly conceivable way, and I never imagined that would be okay with just getting my power to equal Kakarot's prowess. But I was more than just okay with it; I was _proud_ that I was his equal, and I finally stopped trying to surpass him, to supersede him. That was the last time that I saw him, and it was the first time I became the kind of person that _you all_ wanted me to be! That is more than just a sign!" Vegeta said, believing he was entrusted and entitled to take on Goku's role as savior.

"Look, I know, and I'm not saying you can't help, but you should focus more on building a strategy, while I—the _fighter_—save the day." Gohan said with a smirk on his face.

"Besides you're getting kind of old for this. I wouldn't want you to pull something, or worse: _break your hip_!" Gohan said, laughing.

"That's it kid. You want to settle this right here, right now?" Vegeta retorted, ready to rumble.

"I thought you'd never ask," Gohan replied, equally as confident and cocky. "Now you'll see, first-hand, just who the better fighter is!"

"Indeed you will!" Vegeta replied, not feeling intimidated in the least.

Bulma, Bulla, Pan, Videl, Chi Chi, Krillin, Android 18, Marron, Majuub, Tien, Goten, Trunks, Yamcha, and even Bulla's younger sister—not even two years of age, yet—stared at the two as they argued. All of the "_Z-Fighters_" were assembled atop Dende's "_Lorded Lookout_," much like old times, and—just like old times—Vegeta was arguing with someone.

The two of them eyed each other for moments before they both knew the fatal fight to the finish would start. Vegeta gave Gohan his signature smirk and nod, and Gohan responded with his classic full-teeth grin. That was it, the sign; there was about to be a brutally bloody battle.

They quickly and quietly lunged at each other, and they traveled at speeds far greater than any mere mortal could perceive. Just as they were about to approach each other, something stopped them both—something heavy, strong, and sturdy. Both Vegeta and Gohan ran into Piccolo at the same time, and Piccolo grabbed them both by their necks and picked them up.

"You two morons give me a headache! The planet is being attacked by a force so incredibly strong and evil that it could destroy the entire galaxy, and here you two are, arguing over who gets to fight it! I swear, I'll never understand you Saiyans, and your thirst for battle, but hey, here's an idea. _Why don't you both fight_!" Piccolo said sternly, releasing them.

They both hit the ground with a very noticeable _noise_, as they both rubbed their necks and thought about what Piccolo had said.

Several hours ago a strange—but empirically evil—force had arrived on Earth, and its power was far greater than any opponent any of the "_Z-Fighters_" had ever faced before, hence the reason for the mandatory meeting of the "_Z-Fighters_" on Dende's lookout.

Even Piccolo was released from Hell to aid them; that's how direly dreadful the situation was. They were called there so they could all discuss the situation—and find a remedy—but instead, almost instantly upon arrival, both Gohan and Vegeta claimed the creature's head and wanted to fight it first, thus the argument erupted. If not for Piccolo arriving when he did, the Earth's two best chances for survival might have just killed each other.

"We should have started the fight as '_Super Saiyan 4s_,' that way Piccolo wouldn't have been able to stop us." Gohan said, regretfully rubbing his neck. Gohan, after some intensive teaching, training, and tempering—and exposure to '_Blutz _Waves,'—had finally ascended to the fourth level of the Super Saiyan evolution.

"Agreed. Why must the Namekian ruin everything?" Vegeta asked, angered and annoyed.

"**_Ruin_**?!" Piccolo inquired intricately, obviously quite angry and aggressive.

"I just saved the only two idiots who have even the slightest chance of saving the Earth. You should both be thanking me!" he shouted, furiously fuming.

"Alright, alright, we're sorry!" Vegeta and Gohan said in unison. Vegeta wasn't sorry.

"Now," Piccolo said, taking charge, "where do we stand? What do we know about this creature?" he asked aptly.

"Dende knows all about that. He just left to go to the back room." Goten said, finally speaking up.

"What? Why?" Piccolo asked, slightly surprised.

"He is trying to summon Kakarot." Vegeta spat, clearly insulted.

"Hey now, Vegeta, calm down. I wasn't going to try to summon Goku. I know that you two," Dende said, coming from the back room, and gesturing to Gohan and Vegeta, "are more than capable of handling this."

"Then why, might I ask, did you go check on the Dragonballs—which by the way are still turned to stone?" Gohan questioned.

"Exactly." said Dende.

Confused and confounded expressions graced the faces of almost all of the "_Z-Fighters_." Everyone seemed perplexedly puzzled—except for Piccolo, which was probably because he still had Kame as a part of him and he knew all of the tricks that a "_Guardian of Earth_" had at his disposal.

"Exactly what?" Gohan asked, clearly more confused than before.

"The Dragonballs can't be used—not after all of that negative energy escaped and the whole '_Shadow-Dragons Showdown_,' so there is no need to worry about them falling into the wrong hands because they can't be used—especially for evil." Dende eagerly explained.

"Okay, that's great…I guess. …But what does any of that have to do with th—" Gohan started, but he was stopped by Piccolo.

"Dende left the Dragonballs here at the lookout and he shielded them so that their energy could not be detected by anyone or anything—except for one Dragonball on the Earth's surface." Piccolo said stringently matter-of-factly.

"So…" Trunks uneasily urged Piccolo on.

"So, that one Dragonball is in a remote location that Dende knows, and that is where the creature will show up." Piccolo finished his explanation.

"How do you know that th—" Goten began to ask, but was cut-off by Vegeta.

"Because that one Dragonball is the only source of power on this planet that any creature with half a brain can sense—since we are all masking our energies, and the other Dragonballs' energies are masked as well." Vegeta stated.

"Okay, I understand that, but how do you know that the creature will go towards that source of energy?" Gohan asked.

"Because a creature with its level of power is looking for a challenge, a competition, so on every planet it ventures to, it must seek out the strongest and most enormous energy and attempt to fight and finish it. And since the strongest energy it can sense on Earth is that Dragonball, it's going to go straight there." Vegeta finished.

"Well that sounds good enough, but what if the creature isn't like the Saiyans and isn't always looking for a fight? What if it just wants to destroy the planet?!" Pan asked, afraid that their feeble male brains hadn't thought this all the way through.

"That's a good point Pan, hmmm…" was all Dende could muster.

"…Except that creature has been on the Planet's surface, now, for hours, and the Planet hasn't been destroyed yet. I'm inclined to agree with Vegeta. A creature that powerful has only one goal: to test its limits, break its boundaries, and get stronger. It has to be headed towards the Dragonball." Piccolo said, defending Dende's plan.

"Alright then, I suppose we know where we're going." Gohan said with a smirk. "Try not to lag _too_ far behind, grandpa." he said with comical chuckle as he gestured towards Vegeta.

"Why you…" Vegeta started, "why don't at least try to act, _at least_, like _half_ the man your father was." he finished his solemn statement plainly.

"Well, it's good to know you respected him." Gohan said half-happily.

"Of course I respected him. It's _you_ that I don't respect. I mean you're still a child for god's sake!" Vegeta snared.

"_What_?!" Gohan responded in a vehemently venomous voice. Gohan was obviously angry again. "How dare you! In case you haven't noticed, I have a family. I'm a father, and I am a _spitting image of my father_!" Gohan yelled, clenching his fist.

The tension, once again, got heated quite quickly, and another furious fight was bound to erupt.

But before it did, though, Piccolo yelled—in loudest possible voice he could muster: "BOTH OF YOU, SHUT-UP, GET YOUR ASSSES DOWN THERE, AND DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE!"

Both of the aggressively angry Saiyans stopped what they were doing and turned to face Piccolo, somewhat surprised. They took note of what he had said, and they took it to heart. They both prepared to leave, as they put on the new "_Saiyan Battle Armor_" Bulma had just made and brought with her.

"Go get 'em dad!" Pan said lovingly to Gohan.

"Thanks Honey. I will." he readily responded.

"Save me its head," Pan replied with an evil smirk.

"Unfortunately, I don't think there will be any pieces of that creature left after we're finished with it." Vegeta interjected, his usual cocky, confident, self.

"Ha, well in that case, make crater big enough to see from space, so we know where you two kicked its ass!" Bulla excitedly exclaimed to her father.

"Of course sweetheart." Vegeta replied to his daughter.

"And both of you, watch your heads, and keep each other in check. Remember, we don't know exactly what we're dealing with. You two might need to fuse to finish it off." Piccolo reminded them.

"FUSE?! With HIM?!" Both Gohan and Vegeta retorted simultaneously.

"Not likely." they responded in unwavering unison, looking at one another.

"_You idiots_, if you have to fuse, then you will! You will not put this planet in jeopardy because of your childish pride. Do you understand?" Piccolo asked.

"Fine, fine, we understand." they both responded, once again in unison.

"However, we are the two strongest Saiyans in the known universe. We're both brutal, battle-smart, '_Super Saiyan 4s_,' so I highly doubt that we'll nee—" Gohan began, but he was cut off by his old teacher.

"I was your _first teacher and trainer_! You _owe me _that much. If you need to fuse, then you _will _fuse!" Piccolo shouted sternly, ending the debate.

As they prepared to leave, Trunks spoke. "You two be careful and observant, and don't underestimate your opponent. Remember, he's probably masking his real power." he warned.

"Very well Trunks. It is noted." his father responded.

Vegeta and Gohan had only one thing left settle. "So who gets to fight it first?" Goten asked adamantly, actually seeming interested for a change.

Vegeta and Gohan looked at each other. Both of their eyes narrowed, and they knew what to do. "Rock, Paper, Scissors…_Shoot_!" they both yelled in unison while playing the childish game.

Pan and Bulla looked at each other, both boldly thinking, '_I hope we don't inherit that from our fathers_,' without saying a word. Bulla looked at her younger sister—now one-and-a-half years of age—and hoped the same for her.

Gohan gave Videl a light kiss on the lips. "I'll be back soon, okay." he said sincerely. She just nodded and kissed him back.

Both of the Saiyans were about to depart when all of sudden a shrill and viciously violent voice split the silence apart.

"HEY, HOLD ON! VEGETA GET BACK HERE! I BETTER GET A GOODBYE KISS TOOO!" Bulma screamed.

"WOMAN! I told you not address me in such a fashion, especially in public!" Vegeta shot back, completely and eagerly embarrassed.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that, or I'll wipe that stupid Saiyan smirk off your face. Do you understand me?" she retorted, clearly winning the argument. "Now come over here, you." she said, addressing Vegeta.

"Ughh." Vegeta whispered very silently, feeling defeated. He was fearless—for the most part. He would walk right into a fight he knew he couldn't win, but there was one thing he wouldn't dare do: challenge an angry Bulma.

He walked over and sulkily gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"See, now that wasn't so bad, was it? See you later you big lug. …Oh, and the trash nee—" Bulma was cut off by the sound of Vegeta and Gohan taking flight.

"That's your father." she said, rolling her eyes, and addressing her infant daughter that she was cradling in her arms.

Thus, they were off to save the day—the heroes of Earth, who weren't even human.

**A/N: R&R! Stay tuned for the next update!**


	2. The Encounter

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball, Dragonball Z, or Dragonball GT.**

**Author Announcement(s): I know that "Dragonball GT," isn't technically cannon to the Dragonball "Storyline/Manga," but it IS counted as cannon—at least by myself—for the purposes of this story (especially since the creator of Dragonball, Akira Toriyama, helped the creators of "Dragonball GT," finish the show with some respect).**

**II. The Encounter**

"Those two are gonna screw something up." Bulma said, sure of herself.

"I second that. They'll kill each other before the fight even starts." Chi Chi agreed. Both women laughed and nodded, but someone wasn't amused.

"I don't see how any of that is funny." Videl said, matter-of-factly. "I mean that's your son," she said pointing at Chi Chi, "and your husband," she said pointing at Bulma, "going down there to risk their lives to keep us safe. They may be a little reckless, but I believe in them."

"Of course we believe in them; they can't fail! After all, it _is_ the son of Goku, and '_The Prince of All Saiyans_,' going." Bulma said cheerily.

"Sure honey, they'll win, no problem." Chi Chi said in agreement.

"What?" Videl said confused. "But you were just making fun of them and joking about what they were doing."

"Of course we were." said Chi Chi knowingly. "We do that, because it's the only way we can take our minds off the seriousness of what is actually going on. I mean we can't think about all the risks they're taking, or we'll go mad."

"Yeah, I mean, after all the battles those two have fought, you get used to being on the edge of your seat. But you have to find a way to take your mind off it." Bulma said. "Give it a few more years, and trust me, after being married to Gohan for while, you'll start using that same technique as well."

"Huh, well I suppose that makes sense. I do hope they'll come back alright." Videl said, a little worried.

"It's Gohan and Vegeta; there's nothing to worry about!" Krillin said, speaking for the first time since arriving at the lookout. Android 18 simply looked on with an unreadable expression on her face.

"I trained with Goku for ten years, and I was barely able to become as powerful as a Super Saiyan 2! That guy is incredible, and his son _is_ a spitting image. There should be no reason to worry." Majuub spoke up.

These thoughts and sentiments helped ease Videl's mind, but she still felt a little uneasy.

"They'll be fine." Piccolo said, reassuring her. "I'll keep my eye on the fight, and I'll let you know what's going on."

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><p>Gohan and Vegeta had been traveling for a few minutes towards their destination. "I think it's getting closer." Gohan said.<p>

"The Dragonball is in East Section 1020, right?" Vegeta asked, making sure of himself.

"Yes, so we should be zeroing-in on it pretty soon." Gohan replied.

"Good, at least we can still sense where the Dragonball is, because that creature is surely masking its energy. When it first came to earth, I sensed an energy level at least equal to that of a Super Saiyan 3, and I'm positive it was holding back." Vegeta stated.

"Super Saiyan 3?" Gohan asked. "Even if it was using only one percent of its abilities, it shouldn't be a problem for us." Gohan said.

"I was thinking the same thing, but you know very well how our pride and overconfidence gets in our way sometimes, so don't underestimate it. I have learned from far too many battles and far too many mistakes not to underestimate an opponent." Vegeta said regretfully.

"Right." Gohan said in agreement.

They continued to fly. They continued on for a little over an hour in the direction of the Dragonball. They approached the boarder of the area where it was located, and they began to slow down. "We just hit East Section 1020." Gohan said, sure of himself.

"Good, keep your eyes open, and use your senses; the Dragonball can't be far." Vegeta responded.

They began scanning the horizon. They looked without question to edge of their field of vision. The thick underbrush and dense vegetation made their usual searching techniques almost completely obsolete. "Perhaps we should take to the ground first." Gohan suggested.

"Agreed." Vegeta responded.

They began to descend. They reached the ground and scanned their immediate surroundings. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. They both began to search and walk around. Then, after some time, they began to talk.

"Hey, Vegeta, I have a question." Gohan said.

"Well, what is it?" Vegeta replied, a little impatient.

"Well I just noticed that you just recently had a daughter—and, by the way, she is adorable." Gohan stated.

"That is not a question." Vegeta said, a little more impatient than last time. "…And, thank you, she is doing well and is quite healthy." Vegeta responded to the second part of Gohan's statement with what seemed to be pride.

"Your, um, welcome. How old is she again?" Gohan inquired.

"Is that your question?" Vegeta shot back, still impatient.

"Well, um, no, not exactly…" Gohan trailed off.

"Well, if you must know, she is exactly eighteen months next week." Vegeta said, once again a hint of pride coming into his voice. "_Why?_" he asked Gohan carefully.

"Well, you see, I was just wondering, how is it—and I honestly don't mean this insultingly—but how is it that your so…well…_aged_…and you can still, um, produce offspring?" Gohan asked, without a hint of malice.

"WHAT?!" Vegeta responded, insulted. "Are you insinuating that just because I'm '_old'_ that I can't—" he asked angrily, but he was cut off by Gohan.

"NO, NO! I was just wondering, that's all." Gohan said, honestly.

"Well, as I already told you, Saiyans keep their youthfulness a lot longer than humans do, due to their increased need to be able to fight for lengthy periods of time." Vegeta replied, embarrassed, and not wanting to continue this conversation.

"I know, I know, but I didn't know that that rule applied to a Saiyan's reproductive system as we—" he started, but was cut-off by a loud Vegeta.

"WELL, IT DOES!" Vegeta said, a little angry, and completely uncomfortable. "…Can we just drop this, please?" he asked, pleadingly.

"Alright, yeah, sure. I'm, um, sorry abou—" Gohan started, and once again, Gohan was cut-off by Vegeta.

"JUST DROP IT!" he yelled.

"Okay, okay. Will do." Gohan responded, ready to oblige him.

Thus there was silence for a long time, and then…

"So…" Gohan started.

"Ughh, what is it now?" Vegeta asked, frustrated.

"I was just wondering, is it possible for a female Saiyan to become a Super Saiyan?" Gohan asked, in what seemed like a hopeful tone.

Vegeta was taken off-guard by that one. He was even more surprised at this question than the last.

"Why do you want to know?" Vegeta asked, warily.

"No reason, I just was talking to Pan, and—" Gohan began, but Vegeta interrupted.

"Ah yes, Pan. She certainly does have Kakarot's blood pulsing through those veins of hers." Vegeta mused, interrupting Gohan's train of thought.

"Ahem, right…well…back to the question. Is it possible?" Gohan asked.

"Yes, technically speaking, it is very possible." Vegeta replied, but he was holding something back, and Gohan knew it.

"_But_…?" Gohan guessed.

"But what?" Vegeta replied defensively.

"There should be a '_but_' there, shouldn't there?" Gohan asked, rather wisely.

"Well…" Vegeta trailed off.

"Well…" Gohan urged him on.

"Well, it is possible, very possible, but a female's body, Saiyan, Human, or any mix between the two is not quite built to handle the transformation." Vegeta finished.

"…And that would mean…" Gohan again urged him on.

"It would mean that any female wishing to ascend to any Super Saiyan level would, quite frankly speaking, have to work AT LEAST twice as hard as any male who was able to ascend to that same level." Vegeta at last pushed out. He hated having this conversation. He had previously talked to Bulla about the same thing on numerous occasions. He hated that his daughter was at a disadvantage simply because of her gender. He didn't like to baby her because he knew she could take care of herself; she was, after all, as good a fighter as Pan, but he ended up giving her special treatment, anyway. She resented it when he treated differently than he treated Trunks, especially if he treated her better.

"I see." Gohan finally understood.

"Yes, well…" Vegeta ended that uneasy conversation.

They continued searching for about another hour, until something unexpected occurred. They both sensed it, and they were both confused. They quickly looked at each other to confirm that they were not incorrect. The Dragonball that they had both been keeping their senses locked on had started moving. However, it was moving far faster than they ever expected it to, and because it was such a small energy they were attempting to lock-onto, the speed it was traveling at made it hard for them determine where it was going, and where it came from.

They both kept trying to pinpoint the location of the Dragonball, and where it was heading. They thought they finally had it down to a single location, and then suddenly, the stone ball whizzed by the two Saiyans as they both deftly dodged out of the way. They both recovered and got back on their feet quickly, both unharmed and unnerved.

"What the hell?" Vegeta roared.

"At the speed that was traveling…" Gohan started, tracing the path of the Dragonball with his finger.

"Someone must have thrown it, someone as strong a Super Saiyan 3." Vegeta finished.

"That'd be my best guess." Gohan responded in agreement. "Should we go after the Dragonball?"

"Don't bother. The creature is in the direction it was thrown from, and besides, the Dragonball can't be used anyway." Vegeta stated, eager for a fight.

"Hmm, alright then, let's hurry, before that thing gets mad and wastes the whole planet." Gohan said, taking off in the direction the Dragonball was thrown from. Vegeta quickly followed suit.

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><p>"What?!" Piccolo asked himself, somewhat confused.<p>

"_WHAT_?!" the remaining Z-fighters responded uneasily.

"The Dragonball…The creature…It must have…" Piccolo trailed off.

"It must have _WHAT_?!" Bulma asked, quite annoyed.

"The creature." Piccolo responded, still a little uneasy.

"What _ABOUT_ the creature?" she asked again, now getting angry.

"It's, it's…found the Dragonball, and it picked it up, and…it threw it…rather _angrily_." Piccolo said, still thinking.

"What? What do you mean it _threw _it?" Videl chimed in.

"It picked up the Dragonball and it threw it…right at Vegeta and Gohan." Piccolo said, still processing.

"But that doesn't make any sense." Chi Chi said.

"Yeah, if it found the Dragonball, and if Vegeta and Gohan haven't yet arrived there to fight it, then wh—" Bulma was cut-off by Piccolo.

"…Then why hasn't it destroyed the planet, yet?" Piccolo finished her thought.

"Yeah, exactly." Bulma said.

"I don't know exactly what you mean by that." Chi Chi said, a little confused, and Videl just stood there, completely lost.

"If the creature has found the Dragonball, then it now knows that the _'powerful'_ energy it was sensing earlier was an inanimate object, and thus, the creature should have concluded that there isn't anyone worth fighting on this planet, since it can't sense anyone—besides that ball—which is a simple stone." Piccolo finished.

"That would explain why it was angry when it threw the Dragonball." Chi Chi said. "It was mad, because it was angry at having spent all that time searching for a _rock_ and not a _real fighter_." she finished.

"That is what I assumed at first, but if that were the case, it would have destroyed this planet and moved on to another the moment it found the Dragonball." Piccolo said, finally done thinking.

"So why hasn't it?" Videl asked.

"Because it's searching for something, something found specifically on Earth." Piccolo said, now sure of his theory.

"_WELL_?!" Bulma said, putting her hand on her hips. "We all know you figured all this out already. Stop with the suspense! What is it looking for?" Bulma asked, annoyed at Piccolo's slow explanation.

"It's searching for Vegeta and Gohan. It's searching for the Saiyans." Piccolo said, finishing his explanation.

* * *

><p>Vegeta and Gohan rushed, as fast as they possibly could towards the old location of the Dragonball.<p>

"It was obviously mad at not finding a real fighter, and as such, will probably soon attempt to destroy the planet." Vegeta spoke as he flew.

"…Because it doesn't think there's anyone worth fighting here, right?" Gohan made sure of himself.

"That is correct." Vegeta confirmed.

"If it's going to try something like that, it'll probably raise its power level right before it attempts to destroy the Earth." Gohan assumed. "If it does, we should raise our own powers-levels, in response, so it will at least know that there are 'worthy' warriors here on Earth." he finished his suggestion.

"Very well. Perhaps, then, it will put-off the destruction of the planet until we can meet this creature," Vegeta started, "and, when we encounter it, we will _destroy_ it." he finished, completely solemn.

"Alright, let's hurry." Gohan said as they sped towards where they thought the creature was located.

They continued flying for moments, until they both felt a powerful surge of energy, a power that was clearly and completely evil. They stopped in midair and looked at each other. They then boosted their own power levels in response, and they both—somehow without talking—agreed that becoming only a Super Saiyan 2 was enough.

Their hair changed, and the flowing dark black hair became a golden brutal blonde; their eyes enlarged and were filled with furry and wisdom as they went from brown to blue. Their muscular form filled out and they finished their transformation, giving off an enormous amount of energy. Finally, that well-known golden glow surrounded them both. They wasted no time. They took off, moving faster than before, in the direction of the power surge that they had felt earlier.

They both reached a clearing, with a large body of water to their left, and slowed, almost to a complete stop. The creature was here. They both scanned around and saw a something on the far side of the clearing.

A very tall, skinny—but also muscular—humanoid being appeared from behind the timberline. It appeared to be a male. He was organic, but he was clearly not entirely biological, as he had obvious bionic portions of his body that was somehow brilliantly blended-in with his organic tissue. The creature then spoke, and as he did so, he addressed the Saiyans.

"Good to see you boys." it said in menacing tone, one that would have struck fear into anyone other than the two it spoke to.

"There are no boys present here." Vegeta stated, somehow managing to almost copy the creature's menacing tone. "There are only two men who are dying to kill something." Vegeta finished with a smirk.

The creature merely hissed in response. "Well you're _half_ right. There are two _'men' _here, who are, in fact, going to _die_." the creature responded smugly.

"Why have you come here?" Gohan asked, demandingly.

"Isn't it obvious?" the creature responded. "I came to see you two _'Super Saiyans'_ in action." it said with a hint of mirth, and a sinister smile to match.

The Saiyans made no change in their facial expressions, but they simultaneously thought the same thing: '_How does it know about the Saiyans?'_

**A/N: Another slow-going chapter, but I promise, things are just getting started. I wonder who this guy is, and what's his deal with the Saiyans? Please, once again, read and review!**


	3. Battle Begins

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball, Dragonball Z, or Dragonball GT; however, I do own a DBZ Refrigerator Magnet.**

**A/N: Do not let the part about the "Human Honor League" distract you. That is simply put in to better introduce a certain character's romantic interest in the future [guess who ;)], and also for a little bit of comic relief later on. I hope you enjoy Chap. 3!**

**III. Battle Begins**

All of the Z-Fighters watched as Krillin and Android 18 spared. They watched, mostly in awe at, Krillin's new strength, speed, stamina, skills, and agility. The last time anyone had seen or heard from, or about, poor Krillin he was a goner, and although he had died quite a considerable amount of times in the past, this time they were sure it was final.

No one really questioned it when they saw him arrive at the lookout, seeing as they had all seen weirder, stranger, and cooler things happen. However they all remembered him being…well…a little on the old side, and as such, when he and Android 18 started sparing, and he began to demonstrate his newfound progress, power, and prowess, he looked better than the old Krillin, so everyone began to wonder. Krillin walked back with Android 18 from the sparing ring, and Yamcha and Tien pulled him aside.

"Hey bro, spill, how'd you get to be '_Super Krillin_?'" Yamcha asked without a hint of tact.

"Ughh, what he means to say is, first of all, how are you back, and, second of all, how did you get so strong…and so fast?" Tien asked, putting a bit more tactfulness behind Yamcha's question.

"Well, you guys seem happy to see me…" Krillin responded sounding sarcastic, and a little disappointed.

"Oh, hey c'mon man! We didn't mean it like that. We just wanna know, that's all." Yamcha said, trying to cheer his friend up.

"Yeah, of course we're happy to have you back, Krillin!" Tien added happily.

"Huh, well, gee, thanks guys." Krillin responded, a little more enthusiastic.

"So, spill." Yamcha urged.

"Well… You see, I _was_ dead, but because of all the times I helped save the world in the past, I convinced King Yema to let me come back to earth to finish my life normally—and by normally, I mean dying of old age—and he said he would, so I got to come back." Krillin said cheerily.

"Yeah, but how did yo—" Tien was stopped by the rest of Krillin's explanation.

"So, you see, I had a plan, because when I came back, I wasn't in the best of health. So, I went to go see a doctor, and he told me my life should last a few more years. So, I came up with a way to avoid dying so soon…" Krillin let on.

"…And that was…" Yamcha urged Krillin on, anxious.

"I became an android." Krillin finished, smiling.

"YOU WHAT?!" They both responded, completely taken off-guard.

"Yeah, with a little help from 18, and Bulma's genius and technology, I was as good as new, _literally_, in no time." Krillin explained.

"Wow, that's…" Tien trailed off, and then was cut-off by an excited Yamcha.

"THAT'S FREAKIN AWESOME!" Yamcha yelled, and he obviously meant every word of it.

"Yeah, thanks. I'm stronger and faster than ever before. I even got an offer from the '_Human Honor League_,' to join as an _officer_." Krillin bragged.

"Ughh, not those idiots." Tien said, a little peeved.

"Yeah man, you can't! I hate those guys." Yamcha agreed

"Don't worry, I didn't accept the offer. I was just saying, that's all." Krillin defended himself and his actions. The Z-Fighters _really _didn't like the Human Honor League.

The "Human Honor League" was an organization setup by all the Political World Leaders about a year ago. After the final battle with Omega, and after that "_Super Spirit Bomb_," was used, a lot of people wanted answers, mostly world leaders and their advisors. And, unfortunately, because the Dragonballs were out of order, they couldn't just wish the questions away.

So, to oblige them, the Z-Fighters explained everything to them, starting with who Goku was, and the day he first meet Raditz, and going all the way through the final battle with Omega. They weren't readily believed, so they had to give some demonstrations of their powers whenever necessary and prove that they weren't lying. After they had finished explaining their story, the world leaders released the information and the proof, as they saw fit. Eventually, the entire planet knew of the existence of the great Saiyan race, and of all the incredible things that the Z-Fighters had accomplished.

It was then acknowledged that humans, like any other race, gave off life force and energy, and if they were willing to work hard, they could increase that energy and power, if they trained hard enough. The "Human Honor League" was then setup, specifically, to train and increase the energies of its members, so that they could defend earth. Of course, it didn't work out like that, _exactly_.

The members of the league trained hard, _very hard_, and their energies skyrocketed, but their energies were still insignificant, compared to the Z-Fighters, even the weak ones. Members of the "league" were not the only ones who trained; practically any and all able-bodied humans began to push themselves to, and beyond, their limits.

Over time, the average human energy-level increased, until it finally surpassed the average power level of the Saiyan race. When this happened, instead of getting mad, like everyone thought Vegeta would, he was actually proud, proud that the humans had actually begun to live up to their potential.

All-in-all, the league was a good thing, and most of its members respected the Z-Fighters as superior to them, all the while trying to surpass them. The reason the Z-Fighters, in general, hated the "the league," was because of the few members who didn't respect the Z-Fighters, or what they had done.

Thus, Krillin joining, especially as an _officer_, was completely out of the question. The other bad part about it was the man that was appointed to run the league: none other than Mr. Hercule Satan, himself, the guy who couldn't even fly—which was now a common attribute of any given member of "the league."

"Okay, good; man I _really_ hate those guys. They act so snotty and they always want to fight me to prove that they're better or something. But anyways, it doesn't really matter, I guess. I could pound them all anyway. Let's get back to others." Yamcha said. "Hey, can I tell them about your 'transformation?'" Yamcha asked, once again excited.

"Yamcha, don't you think Krillin should be the one to tell them?" Tien said, making sense.

"Yeah, I know…I was just offering." Yamcha said, sounding defeated.

They returned to the others and began to tell Krillin's story.

* * *

><p>The Saiyans had descended to the ground to face their opponent on their own eye level.<p>

They stood there for what seemed like hours—but what was, in actuality, a few seconds. The creature spoke first, breaking the silence. "Are you two going to start this thing, or should I?" it asked, addressing the Saiyans, in a tone of false impatience.

"Very well, since you're in such a hurry to die, we see no reason to prolong this useless banter." Vegeta responded, proud and confident. But his inner thoughts did not reflect this confidence.

He still had no idea how this creature knew about the Saiyans, and that made Vegeta feel a little uneasy. He was still sure it wouldn't be a problem to defeat him, but the fact that the creature had come to Earth, specifically looking for the two that stood before him wasn't reassuring. Vegeta didn't like to be at a disadvantage, even a small one, and he knew that this piece of information had put him at a disadvantage. He wasn't sure whether the creature knew he had put the Saiyans at this slight disadvantage or not as his expression was difficult to read.

"Vegeta, wait." Gohan replied to his counterpart's previous statement about ending the creature's life. "It hasn't given us a reason tom attack it, and while I'm sure it's not a friend, it hasn't even harmed a single human."

"Hmph," the creature began, already noticeably tired with Gohan's _"honor_." "I have no need to harm those insignificant pests. My eyes are set on you two _'great'_ Saiyan warriors. However, if you will not engage me without a _'justifiable'_ cause, than I will give you something to _justify_." it said, as it raised its hand in way that brought shills down the spines of the two heroes before him.

His hand glowed and an Energy blast shot out from it, traveling faster than a simple mindless shot; the blast also had quite a substantial amount of energy, enough to destroy an entire city.

Gohan and Vegeta thought this same thought at the same time, but they were too late. Even as Gohan yelled, "NO," the blast impacted with the closest city and demolished it. Not a single soul was left alive. Both of the Saiyans had previously sensed a massive amount of inhabitants, and suddenly, that life force no longer existed.

"You monster!" Gohan yelled at the creature, now finally willing to fight.

"Ahhh," the creature grinned with satisfaction, "it's good to know you're finally ready. I would have enjoyed destroying a few more cities, but oh well, you can't always have it _your way_, now can you?" it asked, now addressing only Gohan, as his emotions had obviously been affected the most.

"You really shouldn't have done that. All you managed to do is just really piss me off, and Saiyans aren't nice to begin with, but then, you already knew that." Gohan said, remembering the creature's knowledge of the Saiyans. "For someone with such knowledge of our race, you certainly don't use it well." Gohan stated, now eager to fight and kill this beast. "I have a real hatred toward people like you. I'm going to enjoy killing you." Gohan spat.

Vegeta just smirked at hearing Gohan talk like that. His Saiyan attributes only showed in times of true anger, and that kid was one hell of a fighter when he was angry. However, besides this action, Vegeta didn't move a muscle, but that didn't mean he wasn't as angry as Gohan. If there was one thing Vegeta hated it was a fighter without honor, a fighter who only attacked weaker beings; he always marked such people as cowards. But he couldn't exactly label this creature a coward, because he was challenging the two most powerful warriors in the known universe to a fight, but then again, that was a very stupid thing to do. Thus, Vegeta marked him as an imbecile, and he hated idiots as well.

"Well, now that I can see you're ready to fight, shall we get started?" the creature asked, eager for the fight.

"Throw the first punch, and I'll throw the last." Gohan retorted, just as eager.

"Gohan, just one moment." Vegeta started.

"Vegeta, I won the game," Gohan responded, referring to their previous game of "_Rock, Paper, Scissors_," "so I get fight fir—" Gohan started, but was cut-off.

"I know that, but before you drain this beast of his pride and his blood," Vegeta said briefly shifting his view from Gohan to the creature, "I would like to know his name."

"And why exactly is that?" the creature spat back.

"Allow me to explain." Gohan offered. "You see, we, as fighters with actual _morals _and _reputations_, like to know the names of those who we kill." Gohan said, his voice filled with disdain.

"Ahh, I see," the creature stated simply. "Well, if you must know, I am Slain." the creature introduced himself. This information settled Vegeta's mind a little, because they were no longer at the disadvantage that he so despised being in.

"Aha, well, how nice of you to introduce yourself." Vegeta responded sarcastically.

"Of course." was all Slain uttered in response. "So will I be fighting you two in turns, or…—" Slain trailed off, and was simultaneously interrupted by Gohan.

"No, you will be fighting _me_," Gohan said, pointing to himself, "and you will _lose_ to _me_." Gohan finished.

"Ahh, very well," Slain responded with what seemed to be a new vigor. "The angry one should prove to be a good warm up, eh Vegeta?" Slain said, once again, reverting to that menacing tone he used earlier. His dark, completely black, eyes narrowed and filled with what looked like a kind of _hunger_ as they focused on Gohan.

"I doubt I'll even have to stretch." Vegeta said, reassuring Gohan and showing his confidence in his abilities. Vegeta and Gohan may have had their small differences, but they were on the same side, and they had no doubt in the other's abilities, no matter what they had said earlier. "Hey Gohan, try not to get his blood all over you." Vegeta said, smirking once again.

"Ha, I'll try." Gohan responded, a little amused. He turned his attention completely to the creature now, and he addressed him directly. "I'm going to fight you Slain, and I'm going to kill you."

"We'll see." Slain hissed in response.

* * *

><p>"The fight is about to start." Piccolo sated matter-of-factly.<p>

The Z-Fighters gathered around Piccolo for the updates they were sure he would give them.

"Wait, what?" Goten asked, confused.

"Yeah, I thought the fight already started." Trunks said, giving the reason for Goten's confusion.

"No, but it is about to. Gohan will be the first to engage the creature." Piccolo said.

"But…" Goten trailed off.

"But, what?" Piccolo urged.

"But what about earlier? We sensed the creature boost his power, and Gohan and dad boosted theirs in response." Trunks offered.

"Yeah, so we thought the fight had started already." Goten completed Trunk's thought.

"Ughh." Piccolo said with a little annoyance.

"Ughh, what?" Trunks and Goten responded in unison.

"Did you two happen to sense how far apart Vegeta and Gohan were from the creature when their power levels increased?" Piccolo asked simply.

"Um…no." Goten and Trunks answered together, a little defeated and finally seeing Piccolo's point.

"Exactly." Piccolo said. "They were boosting their powers in a response to let the creature know that there were in fact warriors _'worthy'_ of fighting it here on this planet, so it wouldn't be so quick to destroy Earth." Piccolo finished.

"But, what about that energy blast we sensed a little while ago?" Goten asked, accusingly.

"Yeah, dad and Gohan were practically right next to the creature when it fired that blast; the fight must've started then." Trunks stated, sure of his theory.

"They were still only _talking_ to the creature when it fired that blast, thus the fight hadn't started yet. Besides, that blast wasn't even aimed at Vegeta or Gohan." Piccolo shot down Trunks's theory.

"Oh…" Goten trailed off, embarrassed at his lack of battle senses.

'_Man, how long have I been out of the field?_' Goten thought to himself. Undoubtedly, Trunks thought something similar.

"…But, wait, then who was that energy blast aimed at?" Trunks asked intently.

"Well… …Uh… …It was aimed at…a city." Piccolo finished uneasily.

"_WHAT_?!" The rest of the Z-Fighters responded, shocked.

"I thought you said it was only after the _Saiyans_! Why would it do that, then?!" Bulma asked, confused and angry.

"Vegeta and Gohan didn't want to directly engage the creature because it hadn't given them any reason to attack, and it still hadn't distinguished itself as a threat…yet. So, they didn't want to risk fighting an innocent being." Piccolo defended their decision.

"_WHAT_?!" Bulma asked angrily. "I thought that you guys said that its energy was clearly _EVIL_, so why would they try to reason with it?! They should have known something like that would happen!" Bulma continued to vent. "Huh, _they_, as if it wasn't _your_ soft son's idea." she said, pointing at Chi Chi. The truth was that she was really angry at the fact that they couldn't use the Dragonballs to bring any of those people back.

"_WHAT_?!" Chi Chi responded, now fuming. "MY SON would never hurt anyone that didn't deserve it, unlike YOUR sadistic, mean-spirited husband!" she fired her comeback.

"WHY YOU LITTLE BIT—" Bulma responded angrily, but was cut-off by a very _unusually_, and very _loud_, Videl.

"BOTH OF YOU, SHUT UP! They made a mistake, fine, but they know what they did, and they'll fix it! And, in case you forgot, their lives are still in mortal danger, and their risking it for YOU TWO. So, STOP FIGHTING, BECAUSE IT'S NOT HELPING ONE GODAMN PERSON!" Videl finished her rant.

The two arguing women deadpanned, and were silent. "Now, Piccolo, _you_ were saying…" Videl urged Piccolo to continue.

"Ahem, yes, well, I was saying, Gohan is about to fight the creature." Piccolo said, feeling somewhat uneasy.

"What? Gohan is fighting first?" Videl asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

"Yes, he did win the game after all." Piccolo said, referring to the game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors" Vegeta and Gohan had played earlier. "However, even if he didn't, I doubt even Vegeta would be able to stop him from fighting first." Piccolo added.

"What? Why?" Videl responded.

"Because that creature's attack on the city made Gohan mad, and believe me, when that kid gets mad, there are two things he doesn't do: quit or loose." Piccolo said, remembering the fights Gohan had with Cell and Majin Buu.

* * *

><p>"AHAAHHAAAHHH!" Slain screamed as his energy level increased.<p>

Gohan sensed the creature's energy as it powered-up. He could handle it as a Super Saiyan 2, but he knew that Slain was holding back severely. "Are you ready?" Slain asked, in still the same menacing tone.

"Like I already said, you got the first shot." Gohan replied, his face completely serious. His electric blue eyes, filled with fury, were locked on his _enemy_—no they were locked on his _prey_.

"Very well, have it your way." Slain responded, and he lunged at Gohan.

The speed he was traveling at was far too fast for any ordinary human eye to perceive. He approached Gohan, and the distance between them closed—fast.

The creature's right fist clenched tight and swung, in one clean motion, right at Gohan's face. Gohan's head tilted to the side, and he avoid the punch as quickly as it had come; Gohan had said that Slain could have the first punch, but he never said that he would let him connect.

Gohan smirked for a second, and this notion sent waves of anger through Slain, and his right knee connected with Gohan's face. Gohan's head was knocked brutally back, and it resumed its original position, and the smirk reappeared; he seemed unharmed and unnerved.

The next second was a blitzing, brutal, blur as the two disappeared and the real fighting began. Blow after blow was exchanged—in a manner too fast for even the experienced warrior to see, too furious for even the most brutal warrior to imagine, and too skillfully implemented for even a master martial-artist to be able to replicate the attacks.

They disappeared and reappeared all over the clearing, over the water, in the forest, demolishing trees, setting the grass ablaze, and lighting up the sky so bright, it could be seen in the middle of the day.

Vegeta followed every move, his eyes moving rapidly, but his head, however, never moved an inch. This intense fighting continued for close to an hour, and Gohan had the upper hand the entire time, except for the instance when Slain's knee had connected with his face, but he shrugged that off.

A loud explosion sounded. Suddenly a cavernous crater appeared in the direct middle of the clearing. Vegeta watched as Gohan rose from the crater, completely unharmed. Seconds later, another boisterous boom could be heard, clear across the forest, as Slain blasted his way out the crater and freed himself in his own way.

The creature, for some reason, still had that stupid menacing grin on his face. He rose slowly out of the crater, and he turned and addressed Gohan as he resettled his feet on the grass on the opposite side of the impact zone.

He dusted himself off. Gohan just stood there and watched every move he made, fury still ingrained in his blue eyes. Then Slain spoke, and as he did so, he addressed Gohan. "Very good; I must admit that I did not expect that from a simple Super Saiyan _Two_." he said, emphasizing the word _two_, and he sounded quite pleased—rather than the shocked expression that Gohan was hoping for.

"I'm just getting warmed up." Gohan said truthfully.

"Good, good." Slain responded. "Now _that_ was a good warm up, don't you agree?" he asked Gohan, and it seemed as if he wanted a real answer. Gohan narrowed his eyes. Slain wasn't taking this fight seriously, _at all_.

"It was alright." Gohan said. "But I didn't get to stretch all of my major muscle groups." he finished with a confident smirk. "But, if you think that was a good warm up, then who am I to argue?" he added.

"Hmph. I suppose you would like to stretch those muscle groups then, wouldn't you?" Slain asked, seeming to want to oblige his opponent.

"Nope, I'm good. I'm ready for round two." Gohan said. Gohan wasn't himself as he said this; he managed to _exactly_ copy that menacing tone that Slain had used so frequently, the tone that even Vegeta had not copied perfectly. His glare burned through Slain, but the creature didn't move.

"Very well, let's take it up a notch, shall we?" Slain asked, seeming to have more of that same _hunger_ he had earlier.

"What did you have in mind?" Gohan asked, knowing exactly what Slain would suggest.

"Well, why don't you show me what a Super Saiyan _Three_ can do?" Slain asked smugly.

Gohan didn't even give it a second thought. He didn't even begin to worry about how Slain knew so much about the Saiyans, and their fighting habits. "Of course, that is, only if you can handle it." Gohan responded, just as smugly.

Vegeta, on the other hand, immediately had that feeling of being at a disadvantage again. '_How the HELL could it possibly know about our forms and ascensions?_' Vegeta thought to himself.

"Good, and don't worry about me; I can handle myself. Besides, I am getting so very tired of looking at you in your current form." Slain said, getting another dose of that vigor he had before.

"Very well, have it your way." Gohan said, willing to play along with his little game. Gohan wanted to test his two new forms anyway. He hadn't had much reason to use Super Saiyan 3, or Super Saiyan 4, but testing his newly acquired forms, and using them to _end_ this creature seemed like a good way to go.

At least, Gohan _hoped _that was what would occur.

**A/N: Hmm, Gohan as Ssj 3? Can this guy _really_ handle a Super Saiyan 3? Is he _really _as powerful as he seems? I doubt it, but then, what do I know? Stay tuned for the next update, and, once again, please rate and review!**


	4. The Next Level

**_Disclaimer:_**** I do not own Dragonball, Dragonball Z, Dragonball GT, or any movies, media, or merchandise associated with said franchise.**

**_Author Apologies(s): _****PLEASE, read ANY AND ALL of the following BOLDED text! Wow. Well, first of all, it has been a long time. I am so very sorry for the ridiculously-late response/update. I was caught-up with real-life, for a while (Baseball, Track-And-Field, Graduation, College Finalizations, Etc.), and my FIRST thought was to keep-track-of, and respond to any and all of the outstanding message-conversations that I have on this here site—and update any and all of my existing FanFictions. However, just as I got back on this site, I realized something: I have been reviewing/revising/re-writing my FanFictions, BEFORE I upload/update them, but it was NEVER ANYWHERE CLOSE to how much I NEEDED To review/revise/re-write them! ...So, I STARTED reviewing, revising, and rewriting ANY AND ALL of my FanFictions, and just when I was about HALF-WAY through doing that (I Have OVER 200,00 WORDS Published/Posted On This Godforsaken Site! Do You Know How LOOOOOONG That Takes To Review/Revise/Rewrite?! VERY LONG!), and about to respond to any and all of my messages, when my life fell apart—literally.**

**Between psychotic breaks, episodic events, and metal crazes, (All Of Which Were Caused By My Life, That Just Happened To Turn Super-Sucky), I was, well, incapacitated.**

**You don't need an excuse. But, you do deserve one.**

**The good news (For EVERYONE) is the following. Writing my OWN ORIGINAL Books-Series (There Are FOUR, SEPARATE, UN-Related, Book-Series, And Hopefully, I Will Have A Literary Agent/Publishing-Deal, In A Year, OR Two! …On The SLIM Chances That Is DOES Actually Occur, Or Happen…), looking for agents, looking-into-querying, and FAN-FICTION have become my outlet! ...So, my depressing life will make for AWESOME FanFiction, with HAPPY undertones (But, My Stories/FanFictions Will STILL Have Character-Deaths [Well, SOME], Gore, Blood [NOT TOO Much, Though], Romance, And NO OOC-Ness, OR Mary-Sues, Mind-You!).**

**I have JUST finished-up reviewing/revising/rewriting my CURRENTLY-POSTED chapters of any and all Fan Fictions, and today is the day that I shall be updating ANY AND ALL of my FanFictions. And, also, today is also the day, that I will-be starting three NEW FanFictions, and they will be the LAST FanFictions that I will EVER start—unless, I decide to do a cross-over, between my DC-Comics-FanFiction, and my MARVEL-Comics-FanFiction (BOTH, The MARVEL-FanFiction, AND, The DC-Fan Fiction, Features A Teenage, Next-Gen-Hero-Team, So Having Them Team-Up In A Cross-Over Would Be Kind-Of Cool. …But, IF I Do That Cross-Over, Then That Definitely Would Be The LAST Fan Fiction That I EVER START!)! For a timeline of future updates you should know this: "_I Will NOT Cancel ANY Of My FanFictions!_" I WILL FINISH THEM ALL! …If you wish to have a better idea of how often updates will be coming, though, I have FOUR FanFictions that take precedent over my others, and as such, those four will probably be updated faster than others. You should all note, however, that I WILL be updating ANY AND ALL of my FanFictions! However, I am unsure, as to how long each update will take, so PLEASE HAVE PATIENCE! So, to keep-up with the updates, PLEASE, subscribe to me/my-story, favorite me/my-story, or message me and ask me to personally message you whenever I DO update, and I will HAPPILY do so!**

**_Author Advertisement(s): _****That's right. Ads. I have TWELVE—Count-'Em, TWELVE—FanFictions On here, that will ALL end-up, being OVER 100K-Words, and they will ALL be updated REGULARLY—HOPEFULLY—from this point-on. …So, if you happen to read in any of the OTHER FanFic FanDoms, that I write for, then, PLEASE, by all means, do NOT hesitate to check-out some of my OTHER FanFictions! Check-out my profile for more information (And Some Awesome Quotes, As Well!), and MESSAGE ME, if you have ANY questions, or just want to chat! I, contrary to popular belief, LOVE to hear from fellow FanFiction-Readers, as-well-as, my own readers! …Also, it should be noted, that ANY AND ALL of my Comic-Based-FanFictions, are VERY EASY to understand, and they are MADE for EVEN a NOVICE/NON-Comics-Reader, to be able to understand VERY EASILY, and things are explained VERY clearly in these above-mentioned Comic-Based-FanFictions, of my own creation.**

**Important Information: This story takes place AFTER the CONCLUSION/CLOSING to the "_DragonBall GT Series_," and although "_DBGT_" was NOT TECHNICALLY cannon, it will serve as such for this story, and you should know that ANYTHING/EVERYTHING that happened in ANY/ALL three series ("_DragonBall_," "_DragonBall Z_," and "_DragonBall GT_") has ALREADY happened here. But, the MOST, INTRINSICALLY IMPORTANT, piece of information, about this FanFic, is the fact that it takes-place a while (not TOO long, but, still a while), AFTER the END of "_DragonBall GT_," and the characters will-have/are/did grow-up/change, as a result of ALL that has happened, and the time that has passed. Also, when possible, I will be using the ORIGINAL MANGA written by Akira Toriyama, that these three shows were originally based-on, INSTEAD of the shows/anime, for information, such as: power-levels, character-traits, and fun-facts, so PLEASE NOTE THAT, and note that a great deal of "research" has been put into this, before it was published/posted! ENJOY!**

**_Accolades/Appreciation:_**** Thanks for ANY/ALL of the reviews! I really appreciate them, and I take them all into account. Don't stop now, though! ONWARD!**

**IV. The Next Level**

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Gohan screamed as his energy shot to new heights. Slain smirked.

Gohan's hair began to grow, and his eyebrows began to vanish, as his face took-on a newfound look of extremely severe sternness.

Finally, Gohan powerfully pushed all of his newfound energy to the surface, beginning the lengthy transformation that would turn him into a Super Saiyan 3.

The powerful process continued for a few minutes, causing noticeable earthquakes all over the area. Gohan had managed to control his transformation, though. He had slightly more experience, while being in the form of a Super Saiyan 3, than his father had when he had first transformed to fight Majin Buu. And, since this was the case, Gohan did not cause a global windstorm and an enormous earthquake when he transformed. But, he still did cause quite a bit of chaos. It was unavoidable. A warrior, such as Gohan, _had _to cause chaos, once _that _level of _power _had been attained.

Gohan's form filled-out, and became more furious as the process continued, and his power continued to grow.

Slain waited. And the fact that he waited, so patiently, worried Vegeta.

* * *

><p>Shin stopped. The boy turned his head to the side, sensing something very wrong…or perhaps, it was something very <em>right<em>.

Shin swiftly snapped his hand up to block the fist that was aimed at his head. Annie sighed.

"Shin, seriously. Why do you even need me? If you're going to treat me like an _actual _opponent, please don't humor me, by holding back." Annie said seriously.

Shin Oriama was a young protégé, a trainee, and young member of the Human Honor League. Shin was not like the small percentage of the members of the League that tried to surpass the Z-Fighters. Shin respected them—_immensely._ The boy had even trained with Majuub for a period of time. Shin was a great fighter. He was one of the strongest, swiftest, and smartest humans that had ever lived. And he had earned every part of that distinction.

Shin was born, and grew-up in, the "Shinjuku District," of Tokyo, Japan—a _very rough _neighborhood. He knew just how rough it was from experience, because he was bullied—_a lot_. Broken ribs, black eyes, broken legs, and blood-loss were all usual things for the young boy. He lived with his father, after his mother had passed away at a very young age.

His father was a well-known—and somewhat low-rate—boxer in the that area, and after teaching Shin multiple martial arts, Shin began to fight back against his bullies, but never to out-show, outdo, or humiliate, them; he just fought enough to show them that he was not weak.

Then a true tragedy befell the boy. Shin's father was approached by a local mob bosses, and asked—or, rather, commanded—to throw a fight, for the purposes of their own profit. Shin's father, Maru Oriama, refused.

After he won the fight, hit-men visited his house, and Maru was killed, where Shin watched _every single_ second of it. In Maru's dying words, he told his son that there was no reason the cry, because those men were, simply speaking, bullies—and bullies _always_ lost, as Shin knew that personally. Maru had said that—while he had any breath left—bullies were _weak_, and the _weak _always lost, because the _strong_ _always_ _beat_ them.

Shin then asked his father why he hadn't beaten the hit-men, himself; he had asked this question, because Shin saw his father as strong. Maru had smiled at his son, and he had told him, that while he was strong, Shin was stronger, and he would have to be the one to decide who would win, and who would lose—_many_, _many_, times in the future. Maru was dying, but Shin would keep him alive, and they were _both sure_ of that. Shin took the words to heart. The seven-year-old tracked-down the men responsible, and he stalked them. For months. He planned. Then, he pounced—and the men were _defeated_.

Shin, at this point, had now needed money, though. So, he competed—and won—in a few local martial arts tournaments. It was at one of these tournaments that a local master was impressed and caught his eye. He took the boy in, and with his help and money, Shin would then do what he was destined to do next. He then traveled the world, and for _eight years_, Shin learned, taught, trained, and tempered himself—and mastered almost any and all of the martial arts of the world.

After the formation of the Human Honor League, he had petitioned to be a member, but he was far too young—three years too young. But, the fifteen-year-old, had defeated _any _opponent that the league had decided to throw at him to test his mettle. He was young, but he was not inexperienced. Using the new information that the world now knew, Shin _brutally _pushed himself to—and _beyond_—his limits, and he quickly elevated his power-levels. His power and energy shot straight up—almost overnight.

The boy _never _stopped training. Through _intense _training, teaching, and tempering, he had managed to tap into his internal empirical energies, and he brought them all to the surface. After a day of training, he mastered the art of flight. After a week, he had a perfectly powerful energy blast formed in his hand.

He was still a _minor_, though, and as such, he was not permitted to fight in true battles—at least, not by himself. That was why he had Annie. She was his mentor, his trainer, and his…friend.

He had _long _ago surpassed the furious female warrior, but that didn't stop the two from sparring. Although Annie often wondered why he humored her, and why he even bothered to train with someone so much weaker than him. Annie pushed herself, too—just as _every _member of the League did. But, Shin simply pushed himself _further_.

Annie Kaplan was an interesting girl. Blind since a young age, she was not one to take anything for granted. She was born in America, and like Shin, had lost her parents at a young age. But, now, she had found a family again—albeit a very strange one, but a family, nonetheless. She was not related to Shin by legality or blood, but he was her brother by every sense of the word.

Annie was born into a world light—and then plunged into a world of eternal darkness. Annie, as _very young _girl, had come down with a furious fever, and then illness had ensued. Soon, her body fought the illness and the fever off, but at a great cost. She was now blind. But, there was a tradeoff, as well, and _any and all _of her other senses had been heightened beyond recognition. When she recovered, Annie learned to use that to her _advantage_, and he turned her weakness into a _strength_.

Annie's father, Aaron, was a politician in America, and he was well-liked. But, that wasn't a gift. It was a curse. At the age of five, in her fever-induced state, Annie had seen men brutally murder her mother—the same men that promised her that they would return for her father. Her father was the target of the murderers, but thankfully—or, perhaps not—he was not home at the time. No one was ever able to correctly discern who the assassins were sent by.

The day after the men had visited her home, Annie had gone completely blind. She didn't mind, though. She never wanted to see again, not after the last scene she had witnessed. After that, Annie's father told her to disregard emotion, and follow _only_ logic, because that would keep her _alive_, and he _desperately _wanted—and needed—her to _live_. He then hired a master to train her in many martial arts. She son mastered all that the master knew.

At the age of eight years, Annie was taken by her master—a man that she had come to regard as a second father—around the world, to learn and master any and all of the martial arts that she could, after the assassins had come back for her father—and succeeded in killing him. Annie saw no logical choice, but to follow her master and train. Her master would later die of old age, and she would be the only one present at his funeral, but she was the only one that mattered.

Annie then took her father's words to heart, and she followed _only _logic, and held _no _emotion in her mind. Logically, she had a debt to her parents, as it was the only reason that she was still living, and logically, she wanted to _keep _living, and keep her parents alive by doing so. So, she _became_ _better_, so she could _live better_.

The girl _never _stopped training, and soon, she joined the Human Honor League at the age of eighteen years. Through _intense _training, teaching, and tempering, she had managed to tap into her internal empirical energies, and she had succeeded in bringing them all to the surface. After a day of training, she mastered the art of flight. After a week, she had a perfectly formed energy blast in her hand.

Now, the nineteen-year-old Annie, and the sixteen-year-old Shin were as close as any siblings could get—and as powerful as any human could become. Shin and Annie even had Krillin and 18 beat, in terms of raw power.

But, sill, they continued to train, and still, they felt that something was missing.

Shin was the only person that Annie showed any emotion to—him and that _stupid _Half-Saiyan idiot that she, _somehow_, had managed to find charming.

Now, though, as the two were sparing in one of the dojos of the Human Honor League in Tokyo, they stopped for second, as Shin held his hand up to his mentor.

Annie frowned. "You're holding your hand up to me again, aren't you? Hey, idiot! You know I'm blind, right?!" she screamed in annoyance.

"Shhh. Do you sense that? …That _immense_ power-level? …It's…" Shin said, trailing off, his brash blue eyes focusing on the source of the immense raw power.

Annie's eyes went wide—under the shielded shadow shades that she had on over her eyes.

"Whoa. That's…that's…that's _INCREDIBLE!_ That kind of power could…could—" Annie started, but Shin cut her off.

"—Could destroy a planet. Easily." he finished her thought.

Annie shook her head, and Shin turned to look at her oddly. "No, Shin. That could destroy an entire _solar system_. Easily. Holy crap! That's got be one of the Saiyans! No way it's a Human! You know what that means, right? There's a fight!" Annie exclaimed excitedly.

Shin smirked at the mention of the Saiyans. "Maybe it's your precious boyfriend transforming to lure you to him." he teased her.

Annie wasn't fazed. "Yeah. Stop talking now, and I won't tell Pan about the fact that she's your password for your…well, everything, really." she replied, smiling smugly.

Shin went red in the face. "I do not have her name as my pass— Hey! You're blind! You can't see when I type on the computer!" Shin said suddenly.

Annie smirked. "Nope. I was just fishing. And now I know that you really do have her name as your password." she replied, smiling triumphantly.

"Fine. Ill shut up." he replied uneasily.

She smiled. "Good. Now, let's go see this fight! I've heard so many legends about the Saiyans and their battles! I'm _not _missing this!" she said, getting ready to take flight.

Shin sighed. "Annie, once again…you're blind. You wouldn't be able to see the fight." he replied. That was actually a lie. She was blind, but she could easily sense the fight, without a serious need for her nonexistent eyesight. Her blindness wasn't a weakness; it was strength. They both knew that, but it didn't stop Shin from teasing her about it.

"That's why you're coming with me, genius! To tell me what's going on!" Annie said swiftly, snatching Shin by the arm and blasting into air—in the direction of the ensuing fight. The two took flight, her brown hair warily whipping around as she did so, while Shin's dark black, short-cropped, hair stayed comfortably in place.

The two humans sped towards the power-source that would have struck fear into the mind of anyone else.

* * *

><p>"Hmmm…" Piccolo said, trailing off.<p>

"Oh my god! If you try that suspense crap _one more time_, I'm go—" Bulma started, but Marron calmly cut her off.

"It's okay, Bulma. Just, take it easy. You wouldn't want Vegeta to come back and find you dead from a heart attack, right?" she asked, trying to get the woman to lose her temper.

"Actually, that might make him rather happy." Trunks whispered in her ear. Marron tried to stifle her laughter. She failed. All of the Z-Fighters turned towards her.

"Sorry." Marron said apologetically. They all nodded and returned their attention to Piccolo.

She elbowed Trunks in the side. "You idiot. That wasn't funny." she hissed.

"Right. That's why you laughed." he replied. She glared at him.

"…You know, you look kind of cute when you're mad." he added. Her angry expression was soon replaced by a confused one. Then she blushed. Trunks smirked and turned his head back to Piccolo.

"You were saying, Piccolo?" he urged the Namekian on.

"Well, as _any _of you can sense—those of you that have that ability, anyway—Gohan is obviously transforming." Piccolo started.

"To a Super Saiyan 3?" Videl asked curiously.

Piccolo nodded.

"Alright dad!" Pan said happily. Then her happiness turned to confusion when she saw her mother blushing slightly. "…Um, mom? …Why are you…um…blushing?" she questioned quizzically.

Videl looked shocked as all eyes turned to her. She panicked.

Bulma saved her. "I'll tell you why. She's blushing, because she's picturing her husband as a Super Saiyan 3. Trust me, its reason enough." Bulma explained.

Pan looked like she wanted to throw up. "Oh god. That is…aren't you two too old for that? Oh, I'm think I'm going to be sick…" Pan said, trailing off.

Videl looked at her daughter with a stern expression. "Did you just call me old?" she asked seriously.

"Um, no. You misheard. I called Bulma old." Pan said in defense.

"Bad idea. Very bad idea." Bulla muttered to herself, shaking her head as she did so.

"YOU WHAT?!" Bulma cried in anger, as she started charging at Pan. Trunks was barely able to restrain his mother, before the murderous woman reached the young teenager.

Trunks was thrown to ground, as an enraged Bulma continued to charge Pan. Bulla barely caught her mother before the woman mauled the teenager. Pan was too scared to move.

Marron laughed, harder than before. After Trunks got his feet, and was able to calm his mother down, he glared at her. "What? Now, _that _was funny!" she answered his look.

"No. It. Was. Not." Trunks ground out.

Marron smirked at him. "Oh, it most certainly was." she replied

His glared deepened in severity.

"You know what? You look kind of cute when you're angry." she responded smugly. He stopped glaring and looked somewhat confused. Then he blushed.

She smiled smugly at him.

"Ahem." Piccolo cleared his voice loudly, trying to reign everybody in. Bulma stopped trying to kill Pan for second, and Bulla stopped trying to restrain her mother. They all turned to Piccolo.

"_Anyways_…. As I was saying, Gohan is now transforming into a Super Saiyan 3." Piccolo began, shaking his head slightly. He still couldn't believe that one mortal could have _all that power_. It boggled his mind slightly—even after all these years and all of these adventures—to feel one person emit _that much _power. The scary part, though, was that the power was _necessary _to defeat another force—an _evil _force.

All of the Z-Fighters nodded in response.

"Well, what I'm about to tell you may not be easy to swallow." Piccolo continued.

They nodded, urging him on.

"Well, from what I can gather, anyways, Vegeta and Gohan may need some…_help_ to defeat this creature." Piccolo said uneasily. They stared at him blankly. Then, they erupted into laughter.

"Okay, that was a good one, man! But, seriously, what's the bad news." Yamcha commented. Piccolo just looked at him. Yamcha's eyes went wide.

"…_No_." Trunks and Goten said in unison.

"Unfortunately, yes." Piccolo replied to their shocked expressions.

"That makes no sense! If they have to, they would become a _fused Super Saiyan 4_! Are you saying that might not be enough to beat this thing!" Bulma asked incredulously.

"Well, I think that the creature may very well be hiding an important piece of information. And, if I'm right, then this one piece of information could mean the world of difference to Gohan and Vegeta." Piccolo said, uneasily.

"What piece of information?!" Chi Chi asked exasperatedly.

"He can transform." Piccolo said.

"HE CAN WHAT?!" everyone yelled at once. Piccolo shook his head, asking them all to calm down. After a moment, they complied.

"Listen, and I am going to explain this as best I can." he said, and once again, they all nodded—slowly. "Any being that is alive has empirical energy running through them. Humans call it '_chi_,' or '_ki_.' Saiyans call it '_power_.' Regardless, though, it is the same thing. Moreover, when an individual learns to tap into this source of empirical energy, and bring it to the surface of his or her body, then they merge that energy with his or her own body. And, since the universe, itself, is comprised of matter—which is simply solid energy—this control of their _internal _energy allows them to alter their environment in certain ways, and perform certain abilities." Piccolo explained.

"Like launching an energy blast." Goten said.

"Or flying." Videl input.

Piccolo nodded.

"Yes, exactly like those two tactics. However, once a being taps into this energy, and learns these tactics, his or her own body becomes _amazing more _resilient, and durable. And, at this point, the body begins to use the energy of the universe, to feed or power his or her own body—although this happens subconsciously. A transformation occurs, when there comes a time when a being can no longer physically handle the energy that the body needs to survive—such as when Goku _needed _more energy to defeat Frieza, and to _survive_. When a being reaches this point, his or her current body cannot sustain the life force that is needed to keep the being alive, so…the being develops a_ new _body." Piccolo said.

"Oh! I get it! That's why Frieza, and Cell, and even Majin Buu _all _transformed, right? Because once they reached certain power-levels, their bodies couldn't handle that level of power, so they transformed into a _new _body, to be able to channel that power properly! That makes sense! That's why Vegeta first transformed the way he did! On that planet, during the asteroid shower, he _needed _more energy to destroy that asteroid, to _survive_, and his basic form wasn't able to channel enough energy to get the job done. So, Vegeta subconsciously pushed his mind, and his body just…_transformed_. Right?" Bulma asked aptly.

"That is exactly right." Piccolo said, tankful that Bulma had explained what he could not.

"So what? So this guy can transform! From what you're saying, _every single being in the entire universe_, has the _potential _to be able to transform. All that they need to be able to transform, is the right push, the right training, and the right _need to survive_. Right?" Goten said in response.

"That is correct. Every being does have that _potential_." Piccolo replied.

"Wait. Does that mean that humans have that same potential?" Pan asked.

Piccolo nodded.

"Whoa. I wonder what a transformed human would look like!" Bulla said excitedly.

"What would we call it, though? A '_Super Human_?' Sounds too cliché." Pan replied to her friend.

"…How about a '_Hyper Human_?' It has a nice ring to it. And, it has the alliteration that we all seem to love!" Goten suggested. The girls seemed to like the idea.

"That sounds wicked, Uncle Goten!" Pan agreed.

"Ahem!" Piccolo refocused their attentions on him.

"I still don't get the big deal, Piccolo. So the guy can transform. I mean, don't get me wrong, because I _really _appreciate the explanation. I mean, it makes _way more _sense now. But, still, we've fought guys that transform before. And we beat them. So, what's so different about this guy?" Goten asked cockily.

Piccolo stared angrily at the young man. "Think about this Goten. Majin Buu was in his _sixth _form, when he fought your father, as a Super Saiyan 3. That means that it took _six separate _transformations to allow Buu to be able to keep-up with a Super Saiyan 3. The creature that Gohan is about to fight, however, is in his _base form_. He hasn't even transformed _once _yet! And, here, in his _base form_ he can go toe-to-toe with a Super Saiyan 3! Got that picture?! Good! Now, picture him as a transformed creature! Imagine how much power he would have! And, I don't even know if he only has _one _form beyond his current one—or _multiple_!" Piccolo explained the problem angrily.

"…Oh." was all Goten could reply with.

"Yes. Oh, indeed." Piccolo responded uneasily. Everyone went silent.

"So, what do you suggest we do?" Trunks asked wisely.

"Trunks, Goten, I think it may be time to show this new enemy why Earth was not a nice place to visit. You two will probably have to go down there and assist Vegeta and Gohan if this gets bad." Piccolo suggested. "You two remember the fusion technique, right?" he asked the two boys.

Trunks and Goten looked at each other, uneasily.

"Um…yeah. We do, but…" they both said, trailing off in unison.

"But? But, _what_?!" Piccolo responded.

"But… We're not exactly on the level of my father or Gohan…_yet_, anyways." Trunks added.

Piccolo nodded. "I realize that you're both not Super Saiyan 4s, but two Super Saiyan 3s should give enough advantage to Vegeta and Gohan, should they end up needing it." Piccolo said, reassuring the boys.

"Oh no. Um, Piccolo, I don't think that you understand. We can't go past Super Saiyan 2." Goten clarified Trunks's comment.

Piccolo deadpanned. "_WHAT?!_" he boomed angrily.

"Sorry, okay! We can become a _fused _Super Saiyan 3, once we're one person, as Gotenks, but separately, we can't achieve that form." Trunks said. "And, honestly, the fused form has _a lot _more power in it, if the two people go into the fusion, _already as _a Super Saiyan 3. I don't know if one fused, non-powered-up Super Saiyan 3 would be enough to help out dad and Gohan. Besides it would only last for thirty minutes. I mean, Goten and I will step up, and we'll go down there right now. But it just won't do any good." Trunks said, finishing his explanation.

Piccolo slapped his hand to his forehead. "You've got to be kidding me. You two have had _years _to train! You became Super Saiyans, _before _you were _ten_! How could not have achieved Super Saiyan 3, by _now_?!" Piccolo asked, astounded.

Goten and Trunks looked at other, guiltily. "…Um… We haven't exactly been…um…training." they said, in uneasy unison.

"Oh, I see. Goku and Vegeta, the two greatest warriors of _any _time, each had a son. And they hoped, beyond hope, that these two boys would be able to defend the Earth, the universe, and goodness in general, should they have to. These two boys were prodigies, having ascended to a transformed state that it took grown men _decades _to achieve—_before _they were _ten_. They were master martial artists at age thirteen. They perfected fusion at eight. They fought Majin Buu, _at eight_!" Piccolo ranted.

"Um, actually, Trunks was eight. I was seven." Goten corrected Piccolo.

The vein in Piccolo's head throbbed dangerously. "Oh! I am so sorry! You were _seven_! _SEVEN_! Even _more _of an accomplishment! And, what do these two prodigies do?! How do they use their gifts? To train? To defend goodness? NO! They sit on their asses and watch girls in miniskirts ALL DAY LONG!" Piccolo finally finished his furious rant.

Goten and Trunks cringed slightly.

Marron glared at Trunks. "What girls?" she asked quickly.

"What? Oh, um, Piccolo was just giving an example. He didn't mean that—" Trunks started, but Piccolo cut him off.

"Yes. I. Did. I meant what I said! I have spent _all day, every day_, in Hell! I _know _what you two little demons do! I just thought that you'd be training too!" Piccolo erupted at the two.

Marron looked even more angry. "So you like girls in skirts? With or without panties?!" she asked angrily.

Trunks turned to her. "Why do you even care?!" he asked, upset as well.

"I…I don't. Excuse me. Mom, c'mon, let's go train in the interior of the tower." Marron said, gesturing for her mother to follow her inside the training room of the Lookout. 18 and Krillin followed Marron faithfully, Krillin shooting Trunks a dirty look as he passed.

Trunks looked to everyone else. Half of them looked upon him with pity. That was the male half. The other half looked upon him with disgust. That was the female half.

"_WHAT_?! What did I do?!" Trunks asked them, exasperatedly.

Goten patted his friend on the shoulder. "…Just let it go, man." Goten said sincerely. Trunks huffed.

Piccolo rolled his eyes and sapped his head again. "Ughhhhh. This is going to be a _long _day. Okay, well, a _fused _Super Saiyan 3, although not ideal, is going to have to work." Piccolo said, a lot calmer than before. He was angry that this was all that they had to work with. But Piccolo was not complainer. He would make it work. They all would.

Goten and Trunks looked to each other, and they nodded, ready to go into battle.

Pan and Bulla looed to each other, rolled their eyes, and shook their heads. "Hold on you guys." they both said in unison.

Everyone stopped and looked at the two teenage girls.

"You don't have to go. We'll go." Bulla said, not a trace of cynicism in her features.

Goten and Trunks looked to each, and then back to the two girls.

"Um, guys, we love you and all…but, please don't go and die for us." Goten said, unsure as to what the girls were actually suggesting.

"Yeah, you two can't even ascend to the _first _level of a Super Saiyan, yet. I meant no offense, and I'm sure with a little training, you'll both be there in no time…but, until then, you better let us handle this." Trunks said, agreeing with Goten.

"No, you idiots. What the girl is _trying _to say, is you guys have _two _Super Saiyan 3s, _right here_!" Pan said, slightly annoyed.

Everyone looked at them in shock. Except Piccolo.

Piccolo narrowed his eyes at the two girls. "I thought that I sensed some hidden energy inside of you two." he said, smiling slightly as he did so.

Goten and Trunks deadpanned. They looked at each other in shock. "…Dude. When did your baby sister, and my niece surpass us in…_everything_?" Goten asked his friend.

"I don't know. I really don't know. …Great. Now dad has another reason to make her his favorite." Trunks said unhappily.

The two boys hung their heads in shame. "That's what happens when you spend all of your time looking up little girls' skirts, instead of training!" Bulla said, laughing playfully as she did so.

A loud explosion could be heard from the inside of the training room, as Marron blasted both of her parents through a wall. Apparently, she had heard that comment as well.

Piccolo suddenly went wide-eyed.

"What?" Pan and Bulla asked him in unison.

His eyes narrowed. "Gohan is almost done powering up. …And, two more fighters are approaching the battle." Piccolo said suddenly.

"What? Who?" Bulma asked quickly.

Piccolo focused—_hard_. "…I…don't know. I don't recognize their energy signatures. It seems that—" Piccolo started, but he was cut off, as Dende came running out of the center of the lookout, with Mr. Popo in tow.

"Okay! Who angered Marron?! Because that girl is wrecking the whole training complex!" Dende said exasperatedly. Everyone pointed at Trunks.

"What did I do?!" he asked again. Again, no one answered him.

"Oh, it will take so long to fix." Mr. Popo complained, grievingly.

"…Heh. Um, would a check from Capsule Corp. take care of it?" Trunks asked uneasily.

"Oh! If _you're _paying, then I want new furniture! Oh, this will be so exciting! I haven't redecorated since the fifth century!" Mr. Popo exclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah. Sure." Trunks said, sounding more defeated than ever.

Goten couldn't hold in his laughter.

"_Anyways_… Who did you say was approaching the fight?" Pan asked Piccolo.

"I don't know. But, they're both humans—distinctly human—one male, and the other female. They're strong for humans—_very strong_. They're power might even be on-par with the strongest power-level that a base-level Saiyan can achieve—right before they transform." Piccolo said.

"Shin? Shin is going into _that _deathtrap?!" Pan asked, worriedly.

"Why do you care so much, Pan?" Bulla asked her, teasingly, smirking as she did so.

"I…don't. I just don't want to have to clean up his blood…" Pan said, trailing off.

"Right." Bulla said, dropping the subject—for now.

"Wait. You said that there were _two _humans heading towards the fight, right?" Goten asked. Piccolo nodded. "…And, that one was a female?" he inquired intricately. Piccolo nodded again.

Goten grunted angrily. "Why does that damn girl _always _have risk her life for _no reason_! If that's Shin down there, then that _has _to be Annie following him. For a smart girl, she does some stupid things sometimes. I'm going too." Goten said angrily.

Pan gave her uncle a look, but he disregarded it.

"No, you're _not_. You two would be a distraction—a _liability_. If you're needed, then you would be able to sense how the fight is going, and then come and help. That won't happen, though. I promise you that." Bulla said, sure of herself.

"Don't worry, uncle Goten. Annie will be fine." Pan whispered to him, and Goten dropped his anger and stared at his niece.

"I…I wasn't worried about…her. I…I…I was just…_angry_. That's all." he replied.

"And, of course you are. Why wouldn't you be? You have every reason to be angry—especially when the girl you love is putting her life in danger." Pan responded with a smirk. Goten went red in the face.

"Aright you two. Enough talk. Get down there. Now. Gohan is almost fully transformed and ready to fight. If this creature decides to take it up a level, then Vegeta and Gohan may need some time to stall, while they prepare their fusion. That time will be given to them by _you two_." Piccolo said. Pan and Bulla looked to each other, and they nodded.

"Hey, do you two know how to perform a successful fusion? You might need it." Trunks asked them.

"Of course we do." they replied in unison.

"Alright then. It is advised that you two fuse _before _you reach the battle, that way you won't have to worry about the creature interfering with the fusion process." Piccolo said, the two girls nodded. "Also, it is recommended that you two fuse, _while you are both _Super Saiyan 3s, so that when you enter your fused state, the _base form_ of the fused being will have the _look and power _of a Super Saiyan 3. That way, when you power-up to a _full-power _Super Saiyan 3 in the fused state, the power will only be _compounded_." Piccolo finished his explanation.

"How much compounded power, _exactly_, are we talking about?" Pan asked in return.

"You will become _far stronger _than Goku was, at his _best_, as a Super Saiyan 3. You two, in your fused state—after fusing while you are both Super Saiyan 3s, and then powering-up to a _full-power _Super Saiyan 3 again, while fused—would be immensely powerful. But, you would still be _just short_ of the power level of a Super Saiyan 4." Piccolo explained.

"If that is the case, then, in our fused Super Saiyan 3—if we fused, while we were both Super Saiyan 3s, and then powered-up again, when we fused—would we be able to _contend _with a Super Saiyan 4, even though we would be _below _one, in terms of raw power?" Bulla questioned the Namekian.

Piccolo nodded. "In _that _form, your power would be below a Super Saiyan 4—but not by much. It is likely to conceive, that if you two were fighting a Super Saiyan 4, and while fused—_and _if you two were smarter than that Super Saiyan 4—then even though he was stronger, you could very well win. That is how close the power-levels would be." Piccolo said, elaborating on his comment.

Pan and Bulla looked to each other, and they nodded. "Got it." they said in unison, as they both prepared to take flight.

"And, remember, the fusion will _only _last for thirty minutes! So, use it _wisely_!" Piccolo called out to the two girls, as they carefully left the ground.

"More time than we'll need." they said in unison, both smirking. The two girls took flight, and they soon broke the sound barrier, as they headed towards the location of their fathers, ready to fight.

* * *

><p>Gohan's energy exploded, as the ground rocked, and the floor of the forest split apart.<p>

Waves from the nearby body of water surged, striking violently against the shore. Trees and mountains moaned as they were toppled.

Gohan finally finished his transformation. The Super Saiyan 3 looked his enemy directly in his eyes, as Gohan's flowing brutal blond hair stayed silently still.

Slain yawned. "Wow. That was…_long_. If your enemy isn't willing to wait for your transformation to complete itself, then it's pretty useless, isn't it?" Slain asked condescendingly.

Gohan narrowed his eyes at the creature. "I have had little reason to use this from in the past—aside from training. The more that I use this form—or _any _of my forms—the more acclimated my body becomes, and the easier it becomes to transform into said form. I just never had to go past Super Saiyan 2 to beat an enemy. That, Slain, wasn't only a long transformation, but a _rare_ one. What you just witnessed was a transformation that _very few_ ever get to sense, let alone _see_. And, you should count yourself lucky. Because it is the _last _thing that you will see." Gohan answered the beast.

Slain chuckled. "Oh kid. I am _really _liking your banter. It's quite amusing to me. It's one of the few reasons that I've restrained from killing you thus far." Slain said, solemn seriousness crossing his features. There was no sign of insincerity. He wasn't joking.

Gohan wondered how Slain could possibly think that he could kill him, when he had another form up his sleeve. Gohan's eyes widened in realization, just Vegeta realized the same thing that Gohan did.

He could handle a Super Saiyan 3 in his _current _form—in his _base _form. And, if he knew that he could take a Super Saiyan 4 as well, then it meant one thing. He could transform. The momentary flash of panic in Gohan's eyes vanished as quickly as it had registered. It was a twitch of the face, and it was not present on his face long enough for anyone to see. But Slain had seen it.

"Ah. Finally figured out my special secret, have you? Well, don't worry. We both have one more form up our sleeves, right? Like you said, Gohan, I will throw the first punch, and you will throw the last. I will only need one punch, though." Slain said smugly, smirking as he did so.

Gohan narrowed his eyes at his opponent. Slain was right. Both he and Gohan had one more transformation beyond their current form. But Gohan was no idiot. If Slain's base form was as powerful as a Super Saiyan 3, then his next transformation could…easily kill Gohan. Perhaps the fusion wasn't such a bad idea.

Vegeta's mind was quick at work. He knew that this creature was only using one percent of his power, and he also knew that Slain was only in his _base form_. If he powered-up to his full power, then he would be equal to Gohan, as a Super Saiyan 3. That only meant that his transformed state would be immensely more powerful than Gohan's next form—the form of a Super Saiyan 4.

The only chance that they had of winning this fight was to use the fusion. The only way that they could _begin_ to equal Slain's true power—in his transformed state—was if they both fused as Super Saiyan 4s, and then powered-up again, after they had fused.

But the fusion technique took time to properly perform. Vegeta mentally swore. Slain would not be one to give them that time. They would have to earn it.

Slain smirked as he opened his mouth and began to scream. His red eyes glowed as his power increased exponentially.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Slain screamed soundly.

In the next second, a boisterous boom was heard, as an aura or pure energy exploded from Slain, wrapping him in a dark red glow—which contrasted highly with Gohan's golden aura.

Slain was still in his base form, but his power was now evenly matched with Gohan's energy.

The creature's smirk grew.

"Want me to take the first shot again, golden boy?" Slain asked menacingly.

Before Gohan could answer him, though, two figures appeared at the edge of the clearing.

Annie Kaplan and Shin Oriama skillfully stopped themselves in midair, as they both sensed the battlefield before them.

Vegeta recognized Annie as one of the few human females that he did not detest—aside from his daughter and Pan.

Gohan recognized Shin as that annoying boy that was always hanging around his girl. Gohan made a mental note to keep Annie out of harm's way. He also made a mental note to see how well Shin could dodge an energy blast.

"Why are you here, Earthlings?! This is a private matter!" Vegeta roared, annoyed at their presence immediately.

"With all due respect, sir, we simply could not miss watching two legendary warriors in action. We will not engage—unless asked to do so. We simply wish to see history be made." Shin replied to an angry Vegeta respectfully.

Vegeta couldn't argue with the boy's logic.

"That is a valid point, except for one thing. She is blind. She cannot see." Vegeta replied calmly.

Annie sighed. Why did everyone have to act like she was deaf, too?

"I'm blind, and even I can see that you're an ass, '_oh great prince_.' Great warrior, or not, these are public lands. We have every right to be here. And, so we will stay." Annie retorted.

Vegeta fumed, but a quick look from Gohan reminded him that the girl was not their enemy. Slain was.

"Very well. But, stay out of it! And, stay _very far _out of it!" Vegeta yelled.

"Fine by us." Shin and Annie responded unison. They had some sense, after all. The power that they were sensing—especially at _this range_—was _enormous_. Gohan's power, alone, was enough to level an entire solar system. And Slain's energy matched Gohan's power, exactly.

The immense strain that these massive power-levels were putting on Shin and Annie actually gave them both a headache. But, they showed no sign of it. Pain was something that they were _very good _at dealing with.

"Oh, goodie! Now we have some spectators! What a fight _this _is turning out to be, eh Gohan?" Slain asked mockingly.

"Just shut up and fight." Gohan said seriously.

Slain's smile diminished. He narrowed his eyes at the Super Saiyan 3. He launched himself—with all of his power, speed, strength, and stamina—right at Gohan.

Gohan didn't dare try avoid the attack. He did the opposite. He flew forward furiously, as he charged his enemy, hoping that he could end this fight—before Slain could transform.

Although, Gohan's hopes always seemed to fall short of reality.

**A/N: Well, I hope that you all enjoyed that chapter. On a side-note, any and all of you, wonderful readers/reviewers, should surely check-out my profile, and see what other of my publicly posted FanFics might interest you! There may be a few. If you have read a book, then the chances are that I have read it as well, and if I have read it, then I'd love to talk about it! Message me, if any of you guys have any questions, or just want to chat, about ANYTHING. I'd love to hear from you! Well, stay tuned for the next update, and please click that subscribe/alert button, if you want the alerts for updates on this story, or simply message me, and ask me to message you every time I update, as I would be HAPPY to do so! So, please R&R, and stay tuned for the next update! **


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